


Poke

by KnitKnitRead



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Infidelity, Not Epilogue Compliant, Post-War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-22
Updated: 2019-04-22
Packaged: 2020-01-15 05:19:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18492163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KnitKnitRead/pseuds/KnitKnitRead
Summary: Mimbulus Mimbletonia, my excellent arse.





	Poke

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Sing-Me-A-Rare Volume 3. Much love to my Beta and Alpha who shall remain nameless for the moment.
> 
>  
> 
> Song Prompt - "Cell Block Tango" by John Kander & Fred Ebb for Chicago

I first met Neville on the Hogwarts Express when he entered the cabin of “soon-to-be sorted into Slytherin” First Years. We were both eleven and he had lost his toad. I think I laughed in his face and asked him why he was bothering to find such a terrible familiar. He continued on his search and I went back to reading _Witch Weekly_. Really, I never cared enough to think it worth remembering. 

And so, we were sorted into different houses. We went through Hogwarts not really interacting unless it was a malicious encounter. I could be especially cruel, but honestly what teenagers aren't cruel? It's just their natural state of being.

Seventh Year began and you know the whole story. Skeeter released it as a children's fantasy series in the Muggle world. Neville managed to get fit during that year. Not that I would have done anything at that time. Again, war and those marvelous house rivalries. 

When we left Hogwarts; he a war hero and I “the girl who tried to turn over _The Chosen One_.” He became an Auror and took his Herbology N.E.W.T. by correspondence. I took my N.E.W.T.s during the summer of 1998. Os in Arithmancy, Potions, and Charms. I'm also an artist, so I took up painting magical portraits. There hadn't been a magical painter in Britain in ages. People had to travel to Germany, France, or Italy before I set up my studio. 

Neville and I both dated different people. Neville had a long-term relationship with Hannah Abbott that ended when she took over the Leaky from Tom. I'm sure he had a few one night stands before we got together, but I never asked. 

Me? Well, I had a lot of fun. Lots of quick flings. There was Ernie, but he just got so pompous. “I was in Dumbledore's Army,” he would say any chance he got. You know, I only know of a few times that he actually did more than just wave at Harry. And then there was Terry, Susan, Blaise, Zacharias, Justin, and Luna.

Now to get back to Neville. We finally saw each other again at a Ministry function. He was getting some award and I was being announced as official Ministry artist. We hit it off over drinks at the bar. 

He went home with me that night and well, I decided to keep him around. He'd go to work and I'd paint. He'd go home, I'd come over, and we'd fuck. It was a nice arrangement. We slowly started talking more.

It took a couple years, but eventually we got married. It was a great time for us. He was leaving the Aurors and taking his dream job as Herbology professor at Hogwarts. I kept painting. That cottage had marvelous lighting.

This was also when I took over blending his tea. You see, Neville suffered from muscle spasms. Side effect from the war. All those _Crucios_ in Seventh year. If he didn't drink his specially blended tea every morning, he would be unable to walk by lunch. He's honestly lucky the prolonged exposure didn't land him in a bed next to his parents. 

***

Pansy sat on the floor of her home studio staring at the new portrait that had been commissioned for Headmistress McGonagall's retirement. 

“Neville, darling,” she called before chewing on the end of her brush. 

“Oh,” he sighed as he stepped into the well lit room, “you finished it. When are you going to show it to Minerva?”

Pansy cocked her head to the side, ruffled her curls, and got up to add one final stroke.

“I'll dash up to the school this afternoon so I can begin the charms tomorrow.”

Neville gave his wife a quick peck on the cheek and started to leave the house. 

“Don't forget your tea, darling!”

A few hours later, Pansy started her walk up to Hogwarts, portrait in its transport folder and Pansy's hands freshly scrubbed. Headmistress McGonagall loved the portrait and gave Pansy her approval to begin the delayed charms which would animate the portrait whenever McGonagall died. 

However, Pansy now sat in the Headmistress’s office with a grimace on her face, her stomach cramping, making a concerted effort to hold back tears. 

“Mrs. Longbottom, are you feeling well?” asked the Headmistress, noticing a slight grimace on Pansy's face. 

“Never better, Headmistress,” replied Pansy, forcing a smile, “I think I may have just walked over too quickly.” _Or I'm about to get a thrice cursed monthly._

This was how most days went and how they continued to go for the remainder of the summer. Neville would run to Hogwarts to tend his plants and occasionally apparate to the Leaky for drinks with his friends from the Auror department. 

Pansy would stay home and layer the charms and potions on to the approved portrait. She would attend a weekly tea with Augusta. Always careful not to overexert herself. 

On Thursdays she and Neville had a weekly dinner with her Slytherin classmates. Fridays were spent with Dumbledore's Army. Though Pansy slowly began to spend more evenings at home as the cramps took hold. 

***

That cramping would soon be the bane of my existence. Lift something too heavy? Walk too far? Stand too long? Sex? All of those things would keep me in my bed with Pain Potions for the better part of an afternoon.

Toward the end of the summer, I noticed a change in Neville. He was growing more distant. At first I thought it might be the stress of the upcoming term. Neville would become Deputy Head to the new Headmistress of Hogwarts, Professor Vector.

However, I started to notice other things to go with the distance. Small ticks. His robes were far too clean. He was kissing me less. There were more nights out with his friends. Far more drinking and he was positively twitchy on Fridays. 

***

A few months later, Pansy stood at the counter mixing Neville's tea. Neville was sitting in his armchair grading essays. Pansy was adding the single powdered Belladonna berry for the entire 500g batch. The smoke colored owl swooped in through the open window, deposited the envelope in Neville's lap, and rushed straight back out the window. 

“What is it, darling?” asked Pansy as she walked to the sitting room from the kitchen. 

Neville had gone pale. He rushed to push the letter into his bag and ran out the door saying something about an emergency with a _Mimbulus Mimbletonia_.

***

At this point, I hadn't been to Friday drinks at the Leaky in roughly two months. I rarely left the house. Really, it wasn't worth it to go somewhere and deal with the cramps. So I stayed home unless it was necessary. 

That changed when the bleeding started. Months of cramping? Fine, the Healer will probably just roll their eyes. I would rather not be removed from St. Mungo’s for hexing a Healer. 

No, bleeding was a visible symptom. A progression. 

***

Pansy walked into the bedroom, grabbed her silk scarf, tied it around her hair and apparated to St. Mungo’s. Walking with poise and concealed pain, she made her way to the gynecological ward. 

_Mimbulus Mimbletonia, my excellent arse! Neville had been ‘poking’ around but not with a plant and he'd brought home a lovely infection._

***

Now, like any good Slytherin, I kept what I knew to myself. Why give him time to try to hide anything? No. Far better for me to let him think he's doing a good job of hiding his affair. How else would I have a chance to find out who he was fucking? I even made the effort to attend the Friday night get together that week.

I paid extra attention to how he interacted with others. A glance here. A too long touch there. But the real joy of my night was whispering in his ear and then leading him down the hall to the bathrooms at the Leaky. Seeing the horribly concealed rage on Hannah’s face sealed my suspicions. 

But did I do anything that night? No.

I paid for that tryst in the witches bathroom of the Leaky with days of debilitating cramps. 

***

Nearly three months later, Neville stood sipping his herbal tea in front of his N.E.W.T. students. His mouth started to go dry, so he poured more. His vision started to blur and he swore he could see Nagini weaving between the plants. Before he could scream, she struck. To his students, this only looked like Professor Longbottom guzzling tea and then falling to the floor where he began to convulse.

*** 

I really don't know what happened. I made Neville's tea blend like normal. Only, I kept forgetting that I'd already added a Belladonna berry. I forgot twenty two times.


End file.
